2018 U.S. Senior Women's Open


The 2018 U.S. Senior Women's Open was the inaugural U.S. Senior Women's Open and was the 14th championship run by the United States Golf Association. It was open to women whose 50th birthday fell on or before the first day of competition and held a handicap index not exceeding 7.4. The championship was played at the Chicago Golf Club from July 12 to 15.
The championship was won by Laura Davies with a score of 276, 10 strokes ahead of runner-up Juli Inkster.

Venue

The 2018 U.S. Senior Women's Open was the 12th USGA Championship contested at Chicago Golf Club. The last championship contested here was the 2005 Walker Cup, when the U.S. team defeated Great Britain and Ireland by a single point. The course is one of the five founding members of the USGA. It was built in 1892, making it the oldest 18-hole course in the western hemisphere.

Field

The championship was open to any professional or amateur golfer who was 50 years of age as of July 12 and had a handicap index not exceeding 7.4. The field included 120 players, who earned entry in the walking-only championship via sectional qualifying at sites nationwide in the spring of 2018 or through one of the exemption categories listed below.

Exempt from qualifying

Many players were exempt in multiple categories. Players are listed only once, in the first category in which they became exempt, with additional categories in parentheses next to their names.
1. Winners of the U.S. Women's Open.
Amy Alcott, Pat Bradley, Jerilyn Britz, Laura Davies, Jane Geddes, JoAnne Gunderson Carner, Juli Inkster, Betsy King, Murle Lindstrom, Lauri Merten, Liselotte Neumann, Alison Nicholas, Sandra Palmer, Hollis Stacy, Jan Stephenson
2. From the 2018 U.S. Women's Open, any player returning a 72-hole score.
3. Winners of the U.S. Women's Amateur who later turned professional.
Laura Baugh, Kay Cockerill, Joanne Pacillo Foreman, Carolyn Hill
4. Winners of the U.S. Women's Amateur who did not turn professional and the 2017 runner-up.
5. Winners of the other LPGA majors. This includes Canadian Women's Open champions prior to 2000.
Helen Alfredsson, Donna Andrews, Nanci Bowen, Tammie Green, Christa Johnson, Cathy Johnston-Forbes, Jenny Lidback , Sally Little, Alice Miller, Martha Nause, Nancy Scranton
6. The top 150 money leaders from the 2017 LPGA Tour all-time money list.
Kristi Albers, Danielle Ammaccapane, Judy Dickinson, Rosie Jones, Lorie Kane, Hiromi Kobayashi, Barb Mucha, Cindy Rarick, Michele Redman, Kris Tschetter
7. Winners of the LPGA Teaching & Club Professionals Championship and the top five finishers from the most recent Championship.
Jean Bartholomew, Lisa Grimes, Laurie Rinker
8. Winners of official LPGA Tour events from the last five years and the current year.
9. Top five leaders of the 2017 Ladies European Tour and 2017 LPGA of Japan Tour career money lists.
10. Playing members of the last five Solheim Cup teams.
11. Low ten and ties from the 2017 Senior LPGA Championship.
Trish Johnson
12. Top 30 points leaders from the 2016 and 2017 Legends Tour Performance Points list.
Jane Crafter, Alicia Dibos, Cindy Figg-Currier, Becky Iverson, Marilyn Lovander, Barb Moxness
13. Winners of Legends Tour events from the last two years and the current year.
14. Winners of U.S. Senior Women's Amateur from the last two years and the 2017 runner-up.
Judith Kyrinis, Ellen Port, Terrill Samuel
15. Winners of the 2016 and 2017 U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur.
16. Playing members of the two most current Curtis Cup and U.S. Espirito Santo Trophy teams.
17. Winner of the 2017 Ladies' Senior British Open Amateur and Canadian Women's Senior Amateur.
Macarena Campomanes Eguiguren, Sue Wooster
18. Special exemptions granted by the USGA.
Jane Blalock, Mary Jane Hiestand

Qualifiers

Additional players qualified through sectional qualifying tournaments which took place June 4–20 at sites across the United States.
June 4 at Alta Mesa Golf Club, Mesa, Arizona
June 4 at Newport Beach Country Club, Newport Beach, California
June 5 at Atlanta Country Club, Marietta, Georgia
June 6 at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club, Southern Pines, North Carolina
June 6 at Springfield Golf & Country Club, Springfield, Virginia
June 12 at Olympic Club, San Francisco, California
June 12 at Commonground Golf Course, Aurora, Colorado
June 12 at Bent Creek Golf Club, Eden Prairie, Minnesota
June 12 at Whippoorwill Club, Armonk, New York
June 14 at Ferncroft Country Club, Middleton, Massachusetts
June 14 at Fairwood Golf & Country Club, Renton, Washington
June 18 at LPGA International, Daytona Beach, Florida
June 18 at Conway Farms Golf Club, Lake Forest, Illinois
June 18 at Scioto Country Club, Columbus, Ohio
June 18 at Northampton Country Club, Easton, Pennsylvania
June 18 at Onion Creek Club, Austin, Texas
June 20 at Richland Country Club, Nashville, Tennessee

Final round

Sunday, July 15, 2018
PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Laura Davies71-71-66-68=276−16
2Juli Inkster73-72-68-73=286−6
3Trish Johnson71-71-73-73=288−4
4Danielle Ammaccapane75-71-71-74=291−1
5Yuko Saito76-71-73-74=294+2
T6Helen Alfredsson72-79-73-71=295+3
T6Liselotte Neumann71-76-76-72=295+3
T8Tammie Green Parker76-75-79-67=297+5
T8Rosie Jones77-73-71-76=297+5
T10Suzy Green-Roebuck75-75-74-74=298+6
T10Martha Leach 78-75-72-73=298+6